Even after living in Oregon, off and on, for 30 years, I still tend to drive through a few towns there without looking right or left. One of these is Grants Pass, which has, as the Oregon Encyclopedia delicately puts it,
a troubled social history, with outbreaks of religious intolerance and white supremacist activity. The Ku Klux Klan was active throughout Oregon in the 1920s, with an estimated Grants Pass membership in the hundreds. The Klan had a short-lived resurgence in Grants Pass in the 1980s and 1990s, and the area was targeted for an Aryan Nationsā organizing drive, canceled after an anti-racism protest in the city drew 1,500 marchers in 1995. Militia activity spilled over into Grants Pass as well, most recently involving demonstrations by the Oath Keepers group.
Whatever its image may be, the city in 2024 bids fair to become the nationwide face of non-hospitality. Today, it will come before the Supreme Court to defend an āanti-campingā law designed (in the words of one of its sponsors) āto make it uncomfortable enough for [homeless people] in our city so they will want to move on down the road.ā
If discomfort was their aim, the āanti-campingā ordinancesā authors achieved it. It is currently unlawful in Grants Pass to be anywhere in public with ābedding, sleeping bag, or other material used for bedding.ā āCampersā donāt need to erect tents or shelters; merely holding a blanket violates the law. There can be no sleeping in public parks or other public property, and cars cannot be parked for more than two hours in public parks after midnight. No one can sleep in āany pedestrian or vehicular entrance to public or private property abutting a public sidewalk.ā Anyone found ācampingā or sleeping can be āimmediately removedā from the premises and subject to a fine of $75 (for merely sleeping) or $295 (for ācampingā). These fines are bolstered by hefty ācollection feesā if not paid promptly. Though the fines are ācivil,ā a homeless person with two unpaid fines may be subject to an āexclusion orderāāand may be fined and jailed for violating that order.
Homeless people in Grants Pass might try to find somewhere to shelter legally on a chilly night, but that quest is problematic. The city doesnāt maintain public shelters; it has a āsobering centerā where intoxicated people can sober up, a temporary shelter for homeless youths, and a āwarming centerā that operates only on nights that fall below freezing (and doesnāt feature beds). Meanwhile, a church-supported āGospel Rescue Missionā allows homeless individuals to stayāif they agree to work six days a week at shelter-assigned jobs, not to seek other employment while staying there, and not to smoke, drink, or engage in āintimate relationships.ā Women may stay at the Mission with their children; men may not bring their children with them. Residents must also attend Christian services twice each weekday and once on Sunday.
Well, you see, bad things like poverty only happen to amoral people who arenāt God fearing so if theyāre poor then theyāre bad people and they deserve mistreatment.
Thatās the mental calculus happening here, itās also the idea behind the fervent worship of wealth. Clearly wealthy people are exceptional in some way, they wouldnāt be wealthy if God disapproved of them.
These ideas are extremely common in rural America.
Exactly, this is the type of garbage the āprosperity gospelā preaches to these people, and itās disgusting and tries to elevate these people over others based on their stations in life, something that usually cannot be helped. The prosperity gospel is essentially class warfare distilled into religious brainwashing.
Which is completely against any teaching Jesus ever gave. The man was fucken murdered the next week after stating you canāt be wealthy and make it into heaven, so give away your wealth. They killed him for it. Thatās how long we have been fighting this bullshit with the rich and affluent.